The common law husband of an American woman accused of having more than $100,000 worth of cocaine told Police that he had put the drugs in her Gucci handbag, a Supreme Court jury heard yesterday.

Ashley Williams Dickens, 25, from New York, who was jailed for six years on Wednesday for possessing the drugs with intent to supply, told Police in a statement that Latoya Nicole Hunt, also 25, knew nothing about the cocaine when they were arrested last May.

The court heard that in two interviews with Police after the couple were arrested, Hunt, who has pled not guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply, also denied knowing the drugs were in her bag.

But a Police witness, P.c. Kirley Mitchel, told the court that during Hunt's second interview the day after she had been arrested she said Dickens told her he had put something in her bag just before they were stopped by Police but did not say what it was. Cruise ship passengers Dickens and Hunt were followed by Police from St. George's after they got into a taxi and were stopped near the Airport where a search of Hunt's bag revealed a package which was later determined to be 495.3 grams of cocaine worth $123,750.

The case continues this morning.